As the details of the complex supreme court ruling on Arizona's immigration law began to sink in across the state, Arizonans working with Latino communities were divided over whether to rejoice over the provisions of the law that had been struck down or lament the court's approval of the single most contentious aspect of the law.

"We are still trying to come to agreement over whether this is a victory or the opposite," said Daniel Rodriguez, president of the Phoenix-based pro-immigration group Somos America.

Much of the focus of discussion was on section 2b of the Arizona law, the one aspect that has been allowed to stand. Hispanics across the state refer to it pejoratively as the "show me your papers" provision, as it requires police officers to check the immigration status of anyone they come across who they have "reasonable suspicion" is undocumented.

Former Arizona state senator, Alfredo Gutierrez, predicted that once the injunction on that provision had been lifted – a process that could take weeks or even months – racial profiling against Latinos would spread across the state. "Unquestionably that will happen, and to a certain extent we welcome that as it will bring the law back into court and allow another challenge to it."

Gutierrez said he could imagine that he himself, a fully legal US citizen, could now face the prospect of being stopped. "Maybe when I'm in my front yard or walking down a lay-by at night I'll be asked for my papers."

But he added: "I don't live in fear of that on a daily basis as most of the racial profiling will occur in certain neighbourhoods and certain businesses – that's how they will do it."

To some extent, Latino groups in Arizona's most populated area, Maricopa County that covers most of the capital Phoenix, are already so used to being battered by law enforcement that very little can faze them under the new law. This is where the notorious sheriff Joe Arpaio has wielded his stick, practicing a policy of raids on neighbourhoods and factories where Hispanics are concentrated.

"Within the immigrant community we have already been pretty exposed to racial profiling and the consequences of being asked for our documents," Rodriguez said. He added that the main fear was that similar hostile policing would now spread out of Phoenix and across smaller cities and towns throughout Arizona.

While anxiety over the "show us your papers" clause remains high, there was also rejoicing that three of the four contested sections of SB 1070 have been blocked by the supreme court. DeeDee Garcia Blasé, whose Phoenix-based Tequila Party sees itself as a conservative alternative to the Tea Parties, called the ruling a victory over Arizona's attempt to reduce immigrant rights.

"The supremacy clause of the United States constitution is alive and well today. The US supreme court clearly reaffirmed that immigration is within the preview of federal jurisdiction only, and we are confident the supreme court will uphold our civil rights."